Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तत्र पांसुभिरव्यग्राः करिष्यंति दिवानिशम् । प्रेताः कुशसमादेशाद्वृष्टिं लोकहिताय च

Transliteration

tatra pāṃsubhiravyagrāḥ kariṣyaṃti divāniśam | pretāḥ kuśasamādeśādvṛṣṭiṃ lokahitāya ca

Translation

Là, sans se laisser distraire, les esprits œuvreront jour et nuit avec la poussière ; et, selon l’injonction transmise par l’herbe kuśa, ils feront venir la pluie pour le bien du monde.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय) — indeclinable adverb of place

• पांसुभिः: with dust/with particles of dust
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental plural

• अव्यग्राः: unagitated, undistracted
• अव्यग्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifying)

• करिष्यन्ति: they will do/make
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Simple future, 3rd person plural

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of time

• निशम्: by night
• निशम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial use)

• प्रेताः: spirits/pretas
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative plural

• कुश-समादेशात्: from the instruction/command of Kuśa
• कुश-समादेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + समादेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘कुशस्य समादेशः’

• वृष्टिम्: rain
• वृष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

• लोकहिताय: for the welfare of the world
• लोकहिताय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — Neuter, Dative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘लोकस्य हितम्’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicitly marked, continuing the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred field at dusk: subtle spirits tirelessly moving and shaping dust/earth; a priestly kuśa-grass gesture or command radiates outward; clouds gather and rain descends upon parched land, blessing villages.

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Kuśa (grass)
• Vṛṣṭi (rain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even liminal beings are integrated into dharmic order to serve loka-hita (the common good), such as sustaining rain and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 106), the local sacred zone is portrayed as influencing cosmic welfare like rainfall.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction associated with kuśa grass (a standard ritual medium) connected to inducing rainfall for public welfare.